Escape from Clinic Led to the Bust of a Thieves' Gang

As the Styrian police announced on Thursday, five more suspects were identified as a result of the investigations – including three Austrians and two more Germans.

After Escape from Clinic: 57 Burglaries Solved in Four Federal States

The originally arrested man had previously escaped from a clinic in Straubing, Bavaria, and had threatened an employee during his escape. The German police, together with the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) Styria, searched for the fugitive, who was finally arrested in Styria in the fall.

The investigations led the detectives to a widely branched group of perpetrators, who were active in various compositions between July and September 2024. The gang committed a total of 57 burglaries and four thefts of license plates in the federal states of Styria, Burgenland, Carinthia, and Lower Austria.

The group's targets were primarily tobacconists, sales containers, and 54 beverage and vending machines. The financial damage caused by the burglaries far exceeded the actual value of the loot – according to the police, the property damage amounted to several tens of thousands of euros.

Forensic Evidence in Getaway Vehicle Crucial for Breakthrough

A crucial breakthrough was achieved by the investigators through the seizure of the getaway vehicle in September 2024. Inside, they found a balaclava, a crowbar, a blank-firing pistol, and several stolen license plates. Just a few days later, another German, also 29 years old, was arrested. Both men were handed over to the German authorities in the fall and are in custody there.

Subsequently, the LKA Styria managed to identify three Austrians aged between 24 and 27 and another 27-year-old German as alleged accomplices. They are accused of involvement in the property crimes in various personnel constellations.

(APA/Red)

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